How to Successfully Trade in the Forex Market

Filed Under (Forex Trading - What You Should Know) by Rosalina Mavaega on 29-04-2008

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by Rosalina Mavaega

Many people are jumping into the Forex market as traders today. However, most fail because they envision quick money and don’t take teh time to learn what they need to first. They would have much more success if they did.

Here, I’ll discuss things that can get in your way of Forex trading success. I’ll also discuss what can help make you more successful in Forex.

Let’s talk a little bit about what can get in your way of success first. There are two major stumbling blocks, psychologically, to success as a Forex trader. They are fear and greed. If you operate from a base of greed or fear, you’re going to fail continually in the Forex market.

When you trade in Forex, be aware that you’ll lose sometimes, as all do. However, if you take care and do your trades with careful calculation and caution, you’re likely going to have more wins than not. This should give you an overall profit when you trade in Forex. However, if you let fear and greed run you and your trades, the opposite will also be the result. You’re going to lose more than you win.

So, let’s talk about fear and greed as obstacles for a minute. When you begin to trade in Forex (also known as “foreign exchange”), you’re going to have a lot of learning to do first.

When you trade in Forex, be aware that you’ll lose sometimes, as all do. However, if you take care and do your trades with careful calculation and caution, you’re likely going to have more wins than not. This should give you an overall profit when you trade in Forex. However, if you let fear and greed run you and your trades, the opposite will also be the result. You’re going to lose more than you win.

First, learn everything you can about Forex trading. Research Forex brokerage firms and choose one with a good reputation. Most good Forex firms have something called “demo trading” or something similar. When you demo trade, you trade with “fake” currency until you’ve learned all you need to know about Forex trading. Then and only then should you trade with real money.

Let’s say that again. NEVER trade until you’ve had a least a month or two under your belt doing demo trades. Learn everything you need to know about the different kinds of orders you can place, when to place them, how to place them, and so on. Learn how to properly analyze data and charts so that you know when you should get in and get out of trades.

Second, get as much practice as you can. When you think you’ve gotten enough, practice some more. DON’T start trading with real money until you know what you’re doing. Most learn how to read trends and charts by doing two different types of analysis, technical and fundamental.

Although some people support technical analysis while others support fundamental analysis, those who are truly experienced in trading are much more likely use both types of analysis to analyze data and arrive at their own conclusions as to when they should buy, sell or hold a particular currency on a trade. Keep practicing until your successes far outweigh your failures.

Third, when you’re ready to start trading with your own money, take it easy. Many Forex traders will let you trade with as little as $10. Your gains are going to be small that level, true, but your losses will be, too. This is where you should stay until you really have experience enough to do larger trades.

Fourth, when you begin trading with larger amounts of money, don’t trade with money you can’t afford to lose. Don’t trade with money meant for necessities such as your mortgage. You should only trade with money you can spare.

Fifth and finally, recognize that with some care and prudence, you can make money through Forex trading. You should also recognize that you are NEVER going to win on every trade. You will lose some.

That said, if you practice and learn your way around Forex trading so that you develop your own system that works, you’ll likely be successful. Follow your system and don’t let greed or fear drive you. This should make you profitable over the long-term.

In conclusion, remember that Forex trading is not a guaranteed income maker. You are taking a chance with your money, for the express purpose of actually making money; this can be risky, just like other types of monetary trading.

Many people do make a decent income from this, but they are cautious and careful; they study the market before they move. If you, too, do this and you only risk what you can lose, you should be able to have Forex trading success, just as so many have.

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Trading Forex Successfully

Filed Under (Forex Trading - What You Should Know) by Rosalina Mavaega on 28-04-2008

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by Rosalina Mavaega

There are many individual investors who have made a killing in the Forex market as traders. However, it’s quite rare to be a successful trader. Up to 95% of Forex traders are not a success. However, you can help solidify your success as a trader over the long haul. Here are some things to keep in mind.

Inexperience, greed and fear are killers of successful trading. In fact, you can even dig your own financial grave here if you’re not careful. You’ll need to know the Forex market inside and out so that you have the experience to increase your chances of success.

What should you do to help ensure that you’re going to be successful as a Forex trader?

Inexperience can lead to financial ruin. Therefore, what you should do is to get some experience before you trade with real money. How do you do this?

First, research the Forex market in general. Learn your way around it and take notes on what to study. One caution here is that this is something you’ll need to invest some time in. You’ll need to carefully investigate and integrate skills so that you can learn what you need to know before you even begin to trade.

Second, do some research on some Forex brokers and decide which ones have good customer service so that you choose a good one. Most Forex brokers will have something called “demo trading” or a similar program that you can practice on. You’ll need this as an inexperienced trader so that you gain the experience you need to in order to become successful in the Forex market.

Once you’ve picked out your Forex broker, then, open an account with them and begin practice trading without risking real money at first, so that you can learn your way around a proper trade and become familiar with all the skills you’ll need to have.

A good point to remember with this particular part of the learning curve is that you’re going to fail, and in fact, this is necessary. You need to learn how to study trends and charts, and you’ll need to learn how to do two different kinds of analysis.

You’ll need to learn both fundamental analysis and technical analysis. Once you’ve done this, you can learn how to buy, sell and hold orders properly based upon your own analysis and the system you’ve established for yourself.

Another good point to this particular kind of “practice” trading is that you will learn how to lose on a trade without panicking. And that’s another key point: absolutely EVERY trader sometimes loses on a trade. You’ll lose on trades, too, but the key to any successful trader is to come out ahead on more trades than you lose.

Now, here are some things you shouldn’t do:

One, don’t risk money you can’t afford to lose. Forex trading gets lots of press for being “easy” money, but it’s not and it’s still a risk to do trading in the Forex market. Therefore, don’t gamble with money meant for something you really need, such as your mortgage payment, groceries, or other necessities. Only trade with money that “extra” and that you can afford to lose.

Take the time to set up your system so that you won’t execute trades out of greed or fear. You need to know how to study the market, and when to get in and out at the right times. This means that you need to know when to get out of a trade even if you’re losing on it and you need to know when to stay in as a trade is going up.

If you don’t learn how to trade without focusing on fear or greed, you could have serious consequences. You could stay in too long or get out too soon and lose money, or you could stay in too long and have gained more money had if you had gotten out of a trade sooner. That’s why you need a system, so that you can use prudence and common sense, as well as experience, instead of letting greed or fear drive your trades.

If you follow the above tips, though, you should have more successful trades than not, and that’s the key to being a successful trader.

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Online Currency Trading Software for Online Trading Success

Filed Under (Forex Trading - What You Should Know) by Davion Wong on 24-04-2008

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by Davion Wong

To be successful in online trading, you must be equipped with the right online currency trading software. There are numbers of trading software available in the net, but you must choose one which is able to bring you wealth and rewards. Being able to have a suitable trading structure will ensure success for you in online trading. Having the right tool that goes well with your trading needs and preferences will lead you to the top of your trading endeavors.

One company that reigns on top of the realm of currency trading is Global Forex Trading. Its success is mainly due to its advanced online currency trading software which has superb trading software features. This trading software is called the Deal Book 360. It shows analysis instruments, automated trading, and visual online trading.

Another form of online currency trading software is the Deal Book WEB. This trading software also comes from Global Forex Trading, which is a top competitor in the currency trading companies market. You can enjoy online trading anytime and anywhere as long as your computer is connected to the internet. This software is suitable for people on the move due to its highly flexible accessibility along with the usual charting and trading abilities. For people on the go, a laptop with wireless connectivity to the internet is a must to fully enjoy this software.

The Advanced Currency Markets is a currency trading software which actually does away with downloading. This software has sophisticated trading policies allowing more variations for online traders. It can work even in the presence of installed firewall. It is highly secure and has market updates and current charting tools

The Deal Book Mobile is yet another form of online currency trading software. This trading software can be accessed through capable mobile gadgets such as cell phones and PDAs. This is an essential instrument in the realm of currency trading in the web.

Whether using trading software for computers or mobile devices, you should focus more on choosing which software has the greater features and services for your trading needs. There are free complimentary trials that you can use to get a feel of the software.

Online currency traders must have the ability to decide which currency trading software can serve their distinctive training goals and needs. It is always recommended for traders to choose trading software which offers first-rate and quality features as well as easy usability and precise performance.

The internet provides various websites offering online currency trading software. Read my blog for more information and sources regarding this topic.

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Forex Trading:Learn the successful strategies - 1

Filed Under (Forex Trading - What You Should Know) by Forex earner on 22-04-2008

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by Forex earner

To know how to trade in Forex is simply just not enough to be successful. With the financial market being the most liquid in the world, you ought to armor yourself with the knowledge and skills that can take you to the goal. You should be acquainted with wide variety of things related to Forex to earn money in huge piles.

You may know how to trade Forex. You may also know about the top currencies being traded, like the US dollar, the Japanese Yen. But then these are just the basics. The knowledge of when to trade and what to trade is quite essential for you to be successful in Forex.

A trading strategy is always required for you to succeed. So, what exactly are the trading strategies that are involved in Forex? To hit the Forex trading with a best shot you need to get aware of the best money making strategies. They can put you on a roll.

If you use these strategies properly, then you can earn huge amounts of money in a real short time. Firstly, you need to realize that Forex trading is quite different from stock trading. Therefore, strategies will always be different.

The very first strategy that you can put to use to grab huge money in the Forex market is none other than leverage Forex trading strategy. The leverage Forex trading strategy, simply allows you, as the investor in the Forex market, to borrow money at your need and increase your earning potential.

The leverage Forex trading strategy easily turns your money to 1:100 ratios. Of course, you need to be aware of the fact that it’s a big risk. For this reason you can always use stop loss orders to both minimize the risk and to minimize the loss as well. When it comes to maximizing profits Forex traders always prefer to use the leverage Forex trading strategy as they believe most in it.

In the stop loss order strategy, the Forex trader can create a predetermined point in the trade where the investor will not be trading. As already said, you can always use this strategy to both minimize the risk and minimize the loss. However, this strategy night backfire to you, as the Forex trader. Since, you may run the risk of stopping your trades when the value of the currency goes higher than the expected.

It is up to you to decide if you will be using these strategies or not. These are some of the strategies that you can use when trading in the Forex market. The next article in this series should help you in gaining the complete strategies for successful trading.

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How To Increase Your Trading Profit Using Forex Education

Filed Under (Forex Trading - What You Should Know) by Tony Hosea on 17-04-2008

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by Tony Hosea

No matter what level of experience you have in Forex trading you can benefit greatly from Forex education. Serious Forex traders realize the benefits of continuing education just as professionals in other areas do. Beginning traders absolutely need training in order to trade Forex profitably.

Technology has dramatically increased the number of participants on the Forex markets. This has caused a boom in the number of traders speculating in the Forex market. Increased liquidity in the markets is a direct result of the increased popularity of Forex.

Far too many novice trader think that all you have to do to make money in Forex trading is to open an account and start placing trades. While it is possible to just open a forex account and start placing trades I would not advise it. If you do happen to make a profit it will simply be beginner’s luck. Truthfully, how long to you think beginner’s luck will last. Take it from me, it won’t last long enough to change your financial situation for the better.

Traders are attracted to the Forex markets because of the potentially huge returns on investment. They enjoy the ability to get into and out of trades more easily because of the vast liquidity of this market. Forex traders love the leverage available in Forex as compared to other markets.

Use Forex education to teach you about the most important aspects of Forex trading. One of these factors is risk. Controlling risk is of paramount importance in all trading. Trader who control their risk have a better chance of surviving in the markets and traders who survive in the markets have a much better chance of being successful Forex traders. Learn about Forex trading before you even open your trading account. This will keep you from jumping the gun and trading prematurely.

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Utilizing Currency Trading To Create Automatic Residual Income

Filed Under (Forex Trading - What You Should Know) by Real Deal Coach on 10-04-2008

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by Real Deal Coach

FOREX investing has been one of the best ways to make automatic residual income. Such an investment is always potentially rewarding. However, this type of trading also carries a great amount of risk, but those who understand the marketing trends and the trading signals can easily make an enormous amount of profit. It is important for you to have strong self-confidence. Only then will you be able to make the best use of the all the opportunities that come your way.

The basic reason why most people end up losing their investments is that they usually make decisions based on their emotions rather than on information. When things slow down, they start fearing, and when things go up, they tend to take wrong decisions in over-excitement or you may even say due to the greed to make more and more profit. The best way to use FOREX investing as a means to create a substantial automatic residual income is by following a systematic mechanical way. You must have a step-by-step approach.

Because of the large size of the FOREX market it is almost impossible for traders to influence the market in order to create their own gains, as some say the stock market can be manipulated. What this means to traders of the FOREX markets is that all the traders, no matter where the are in the world, have the same opportunity to create automatic income from their FOREX investing.

This market can not be controlled by a select block of investors. The FOREX market demands dedication and proper technical analysis to interpret the daily fluctuations. Only then can you make the right move at the right time.

Some Of The Benefits Of Investing In Foreign Currency Markets

Investing in forex markets has many advantages because of its uniqueness and I will share some of its special features with you.

It does not matter if you are a novice or an experienced trader, you get the confidence that the currency markets are not being influenced or manipulated and are devoid of external controls.

The largest liquid financial market is the foreign currency market. Daily trading ranges from 1 to 1.5 trillion US dollars is common. It is this huge amount of trading that make it difficult for individual traders to move the price of a major currency.

When it comes to creating automatic residual income, there is better vehicle than FOREX trading.

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Benefits of Currency Trading vs Equity Trading

Filed Under (Forex Trading - What You Should Know) by Trader on 29-03-2008

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extracted from Oanda TXTrade (fxtrade.oanda.com/learn/what_is_forex/index.shtml)


Historically, currency trading has been a “closed” market, reserved primarily for major banks, multi-national corporations, and other large organizations. These institutions trade in large transaction sizes and high volumes and it has been next to impossible for smaller-scale, individual investors to participate in an equal and competitive manner.


This all changed however, as new technologies such as OANDA’s proprietary FXTrade platform have made it possible for smaller investors to participate directly in the forex market. By lowering these traditional barriers, the forex marketplace is now open to a new group of forex investors.


Forex trading is rapidly winning favour as an alternative investment opportunity thanks not only to new trading tools pioneered by OANDA, but also because forex trading has several inherent benefits when compared to equity trading. This page lists some of these benefits.


Continuous, 24-hour Trading

The currency exchange market is a true 24-hour market, operating five days a week. Equity trading, on the other hand, is restricted to the operating hours of the various equity exchanges. While after-hours trading for equities has become available to a limited degree through some electronic communication networks (ECNs), there are no guarantees that liquidity will be maintained after-hours or that trades can executed at true “market prices”.


High Liquidity and Greater Efficiency

Key to any efficient market is high liquidity. After all, as a trader, you want to know that you have an active market with plenty of buyers and sellers looking to participate. Trading volumes in the currency market can be one hundred times larger than that of the New York Stock Exchange, and daily dollar amounts traded in foreign currency approaches $3 trillion compared to less than $100 billion for the NYSE. High volumes and “round-the-clock” trading ensures an active market for currency traders and greater liquidity.

The incredible volumes traded in the FX market also contribute to the integrity of the market—it is virtually impossible for an individual or group to manipulate prices. Compare this to the equity markets, where large price movements can be triggered with no warning should a major holder of a stock suddenly decide to reduce their holdings.


Intra-day Volatility

FX trading is centered around a handful of currency pairs referred to colloquially as the big seven. The high volume and liquidity combined with fewer active instruments generates greater intra-day volatility than the equity markets where hundreds of stocks are actively traded. It is this volatility that can be profitability exploited by forex traders.


Low Spreads

Currency trading offers spreads that are much lower than what can be obtained when buying or selling equities, especially during after-hours trading. Although exceptionally tight currency spreads were previously reserved for transactions involving $1 million or more, a shift towards tighter spreads for smaller transactions is gaining traction. Again, OANDA’s FXTrade is an industry leader in offering tight spreads regardless of the size of the trade.


Margin-based Leverage

Leverage—or margin based trading—makes it possible for FX market participants to submit trades valued considerably higher than the deposits in their trading accounts. Typically, margin ratios for trading currencies are higher than those permitted for equities, and this is primarily attributable to the higher level of liquidity within the currency markets.

To illustrate the power of leverage provided through the use of margin, consider a margin ratio of 20:1 coupled with a trading account containing $10,000. This means that you could trade amounts up to $200,000! Trading in larger volumes allows you to take better advantage of even small price movements (but also increases your risk). Read about OANDA’s margin policy.


Profit Potential regardless of Market Direction

By definition, an investor with an open forex position is long one currency and short another. If you determine that a currency is about to fall in value, then you can sell that currency short and go long with another currency. No matter whether you buy or sell a currency pair, however, every trade you make involves the buying of one currency and the selling of another. Therefore, potential exists in the FX market regardless of whether the market is moving up or down.

Short-selling is much less common in the equity markets and there are many rules and regulations that you must abide by when shorting stock. This can make it difficult for you to take advantage of a declining share price or market trend. These same restrictions do not apply to the FX market, thereby allowing you to gain no matter which direction the market heads.


No Commissions or Transaction Costs

A currency transaction typically incurs no commission or transaction fee outside of the quoted spread. This is in stark contrast to the equity market, where commissions for stock trades can range anywhere from $8 to $70 per trade, in addition to the quoted spread.

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7 Advantages of Trading Forex

Filed Under (Forex Trading - What You Should Know) by Trader on 20-03-2008

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Foreign Exchange market, abbreviated FOREX or FX, is the largest financial market in the world. Forex traders include many financial institutions, such as large banks or central banks, as well as governments, currency speculators, and multinational corporations. The average daily trade currently exceeds $3 trillion.

 

Although Foreign exchange trading can be confusing for newbie’s, the market still lures many people in because it has numerous advantages when compared to other markets like stocks or commodities. Forex trading is somewhat different from stock exchange markets and there are opportunities for those who take part in it. Do not be tempted to jump into trading forex before you have a clear understanding of how the market works.

 

So how does the forex market work? Here are the key features of forex that differentiate it from other trading markets:

(1) Forex trading does not happen at one location but through use of the telephone and networks, although there some main trading centers in major cities all over the world.

Foreign exchange brokers conduct business from their office via a microphone that is connected directly to a phone line. The brokers voice is continuously being transmitted to dealing banks’ speakers. To have a better feel for how this is done, visit www.forexvoice.com and you will hear brokers calling the bid/ask prices. Currencies are quoted in pairs, for example EUR/USD. A trade in forex is equivalent to buying one currency while at the same time selling another. The sell quote is displayed on the left and is the price at which you can sell the base currency. The sell quote is also referred to as the market maker’s bid price.

 

(2) Forex is extremely liquidity.

The large number of traders on the forex market and their diversity makes forex unique. The exchange rates, which represent the basis of the forex market, can be influenced by a great variety of factors, hence the opportunity for speculations that exists on this market more than on any other financial market. Although the forex market has low margins of profit by comparison to other fixed income markets, its large trading volumes allow for profits to be considerably high.

 

(3) Forex trading hours and the geographical dispersion are unique.

Forex trades virtually for 24 hours each day from 5pm EST on Sunday until 4pm EST Friday. A trader can choose to trade whenever it is convenient for him or her. You even have the possibility of using auto-trading on many trading platforms.

 

(4) Another characteristic specific to the forex market is that it lacks a central regulatory agency.

There are some countries that regulate their dealers. You should only do business with regulated dealers. Otherwise, you may wake up one day and find out that your dealer has gone under taking your account with it!

 

(5) Forex provides the opportunity to trade with leverage, hence higher profit or loss.

In the stock market, you could use margin to achieve a leverage of 2:1, while in forex market leverage of 100:1 or 500:1 are available.

 

(6) You can open an account with as little as $25 to start trading with.

With most brokers/dealers, you can open a demo account and practice for as long as you like without paying a dime.

 

(7) There are free real time quotes and sophisticated charting programs for forex.

An excellent example is Metatrader that you can download for free with tons of technical analysis and expert advisors to show you how to trade forex.

 

Just as in any other market, trading forex along with its exclusively high profit potential, carries a high risk that must be understood. It is possible to gain success only after good training including a familiarization with the structure and kinds of forex, the principles of currencies price formation, the factors affecting prices alterations, trading risks levels, and money management. You also need sources of information necessary to account for all these factors. You need techniques to analyze or predict market movements as well as trading tools and rules. In future articles we will discuss some of the pitfalls beginners should look out for before starting forex trading.

 

Professor Sunmonu is a Professor Of Mathematics at York College. His forex trading blog can be found at http://www.FrxBank.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Femi_Sunmonu

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Forex Trading Tips - Part 2 of 2

Filed Under (Forex Trading - What You Should Know) by Trader on 15-03-2008

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The second and final part of this report clearly and simply details more essential tips on how to avoid the pitfalls and start making more money in your forex trading.

  1. Take it like a man - If you decide to ride a loss, you are simply displaying stupidity and cowardice. It takes guts to accept your loss and wait for tomorrow to try again. Sticking to a bad position ruins lots of traders - permanently. Try to remember that the market often behaves illogically, so don’t get commit to any one trade; it’s just a trade. One good trade will not make you a trading success; it’s ongoing regular performance over months and years that makes a good trader.
  2. Focus - Fantasising about possible profits and then “spending” them before you have realised them is no good. Focus on your current position(s) and place reasonable stop losses at the time you do the trade. Then sit back and enjoy the ride - you have no real control from now on, the market will do what it wants to do.
  3. Don’t trust demos - Demo trading often causes new traders to learn bad habits. These bad habits, which can be very dangerous in the long run, come about because you are playing with virtual money. Once you know how your broker’s system works, start trading small amounts and only take the risk you can afford to win or lose.
  4. Stick to the strategy - When you make money on a well thought-out strategic trade, don’t go and lose half of it next time on a fancy; stick to your strategy and invest profits on the next trade that matches your long-term goals.
  5. Trade today - Most successful day traders are highly focused on what’s happening in the short-term, not what may happen over the next month. If you’re trading with 40 to 60-point stops focus on what’s happening today as the market will probably move too quickly to consider the long-term future. However, the long-term trends are not unimportant; they will not always help you though if you’re trading intraday.
  6. The clues are in the details - The bottom line on your account balance doesn’t tell the whole story. Consider individual trade details; analyse your losses and the telling losing streaks. Generally, traders that make money without suffering significant daily losses have the best chance of sustaining positive performance in the long term.
  7. Simulated Results - Be very careful and wary about infamous “black box” systems. These so-called trading signal systems do not often explain exactly how the trade signals they generate are produced. Typically, these systems only show their track record of extraordinary results - historical results. Successfully predicting future trade scenarios is altogether more complex. The high-speed algorithmic capabilities of these systems provide significant retrospective trading systems, not ones which will help you trade effectively in the future.
  8. Get to know one cross at a time - Each currency pair is unique, and has a unique way of moving in the marketplace. The forces which cause the pair to move up and down are individual to each cross, so study them and learn from your experience and apply your learning to one cross at a time.
  9. Risk Reward - If you put a 20 point stop and a 50 point profit your chances of winning are probably about 1-3 against you. In fact, given the spread you’re trading on, it’s more likely to be 1-4. Play the odds the market gives you.
  10. Trading for Wrong Reasons - Don’t trade if you are bored, unsure or reacting on a whim. The reason that you are bored in the first place is probably because there is no trade to make in the first place. If you are unsure, it’s probably because you can’t see the trade to make, so don’t make one.
  11. Zen Trading - Even when you have taken a position in the markets, you should try and think as you would if you hadn’t taken one. This level of detachment is essential if you want to retain your clarity of mind and avoid succumbing to emotional impulses and therefore increasing the likelihood of incurring losses. To achieve this, you need to cultivate a calm and relaxed outlook. Trade in brief periods of no more than a few hours at a time and accept that once the trade has been made, it’s out of your hands.
  12. Determination - Once you have decided to place a trade, stick to it and let it run its course. This means that if your stop loss is close to being triggered, let it trigger. If you move your stop midway through a trade’s life, you are more than likely to suffer worse moves against you. Your determination must be show itself when you acknowledge that you got it wrong, so get out.
  13. Short-term Moving Average Crossovers - This is one of the most dangerous trade scenarios for non professional traders. When the short-term moving average crosses the longer-term moving average it only means that the average price in the short run is equal to the average price in the longer run. This is neither a bullish nor bearish indication, so don’t fall into the trap of believing it is one.
  14. Stochastic - Another dangerous scenario. When it first signals an exhausted condition that’s when the big spike in the “exhausted” currency cross tends to occur. My advice is to buy on the first sign of an overbought cross and then sell on the first sign of an oversold one. This approach means that you’ll be with the trend and have successfully identified a positive move that still has some way to go. So if percentage K and percentage D are both crossing 80, then buy! (This is the same on sell side, where you sell at 20).
  15. One cross is all that counts - EURUSD seems to be trading higher, so you buy GBPUSD because it appears not to have moved yet. This is dangerous. Focus on one cross at a time - if EURUSD looks good to you, then just buy EURUSD.
  16. Wrong Broker - A lot of FOREX brokers are in business only to make money from yours. Read forums, blogs and chats around the net to get an unbiased opinion before you choose your broker.
  17. Too bullish - Trading statistics show that 90% of most traders will fail at some point. Being too bullish about your trading aptitude can be fatal to your long-term success. You can always learn more about trading the markets, even if you are currently successful in your trades. Stay modest, and keep your eyes open for new ideas and bad habits you might be falling in to.
  18. Interpret forex news yourself - Learn to read the source documents of forex news and events - don’t rely on the interpretations of news media or others.

The above article is written by:

John Gaines - A veteran of online trading, John Gaines offers the financial services industry his perspectives and expertise on a variety of trading systems and financial instruments, including forex, CFDs, futures, options and stocks.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Gaines

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Forex Trading Tips - Part 1 of 2

Filed Under (Forex Trading - What You Should Know) by Trader on 12-03-2008

Tagged Under : ,

Why do hundreds of thousands online traders and investors trade the forex market every day,  and how do they make money doing it?

This two-part report clearly and simply details essential tips on how to avoid typical pitfalls and start making more money in your forex trading.

  1. Trade pairs, not currencies - Like any relationship, you have to know both sides. Success or failure in forex trading depends upon being right about both currencies and how they impact one another, not just one.
  2. Knowledge is Power - When starting out trading forex online, it is essential that you understand the basics of this market if you want to make the most of your investments.The main forex influencer is global news and events. For example, say an ECB statement is released on European interest rates which typically will cause a flurry of activity. Most newcomers react violently to news like this and close their positions and subsequently miss out on some of the best trading opportunities by waiting until the market calms down. The potential in the forex market is in the volatility, not in its tranquility.
  3. Unambitious trading - Many new traders will place very tight orders in order to take very small profits. This is not a sustainable approach because although you may be profitable in the short run (if you are lucky), you risk losing in the longer term as you have to recover the difference between the bid and the ask price before you can make any profit and this is much more difficult when you make small trades than when you make larger ones.
  4. Over-cautious trading - Like the trader who tries to take small incremental profits all the time, the trader who places tight stop losses with a retail forex broker is doomed. As we stated above, you have to give your position a fair chance to demonstrate its ability to produce. If you don’t place reasonable stop losses that allow your trade to do so, you will always end up undercutting yourself and losing a small piece of your deposit with every trade.
  5. Independence - If you are new to forex, you will either decide to trade your own money or to have a broker trade it for you. So far, so good. But your risk of losing increases exponentially if you either of these two things:  
    1. Interfere with what your broker is doing on your behalf (as his strategy might require a long gestation period);
    2. Seek advice from too many sources - multiple input will only result in multiple losses. Take a position, ride with it and then analyse the outcome - by yourself, for yourself.
  6. Tiny margins - Margin trading is one of the biggest advantages in trading forex as it allows you to trade amounts far larger than the total of your deposits. However, it can also be dangerous to novice traders as it can appeal to the greed factor that destroys many forex traders. The best guideline is to increase your leverage in line with your experience and success.
  7. No strategy - The aim of making money is not a trading strategy. A strategy is your map for how you plan to make money. Your strategy details the approach you are going to take, which currencies you are going to trade and how you will manage your risk. Without a strategy, you may become one of the 90% of new traders that lose their money.
  8. Trading off-peak hours - Professional FX traders, option traders, and hedge funds posses a huge advantage over small retail traders during off-peak hours (between 2200 CET and 1000 CET) as they can hedge their positions and move them around when there is far small trade volume is going through (meaning their risk is smaller). The best advice for trading during off peak hours is simple - don’t.
  9. The only way is up/down - When the market is on its way up, the market is on its way up. When the market is going down, the market is going down. That’s it. There are many systems which analyse past trends, but none that can accurately predict the future. But if you acknowledge to yourself that all that is happening at any time is that the market is simply moving, you’ll be amazed at how hard it is to blame anyone else.
  10. Trade on the news - Most of the really big market moves occur around news time. Trading volume is high and the moves are significant; this means there is no better time to trade than when news is released. This is when the big players adjust their positions and prices change resulting in a serious currency flow.
  11. Exiting trades - If you place a trade and it’s not working out for you, get out. Don’t compound your mistake by staying in and hoping for a reversal. If you’re in a winning trade, don’t talk yourself out of the position because you’re bored or want to relieve stress; stress is a natural part of trading; get used to it.
  12. Don’t trade too short-term - If you are aiming to make less than 20 points profit, don’t undertake the trade. The spread you are trading on will make the odds against you far too high.
  13. Don’t be smart - The most successful traders I know keep their trading simple. They don’t analyse all day or research historical trends and track web logs and their results are excellent.
  14. Tops and Bottoms - There are no real “bargains” in trading foreign exchange. Trade in the direction the price is going in and you’re results will be almost guaranteed to improve.
  15. Ignoring the technicals - Understanding whether the market is over-extended long or short is a key indicator of price action. Spikes occur in the market when it is moving all one way.
  16. Emotional trading - Without that all-important strategy, you’re trades essentially are thoughts only and thoughts are emotions and a very poor foundation for trading. When most of us are upset and emotional, we don’t tend to make the wisest decisions. Don’t let your emotions sway you.
  17. Confidence - Confidence comes from successful trading. If you lose money early in your trading career it’s very difficult to regain it; the trick is not to go off half-cocked; learn the business before you trade. Remember, knowledge is power.

The above article is written by:

John Gaines - A veteran of online trading, John Gaines offers the financial services industry his perspectives and expertise on a variety of trading systems and financial instruments, including forex, CFDs, futures, options and stocks.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Gaines

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